Hi all,
After experimenting a few years with my pool I would like to share some observations on pool equipment here in South West Florida.
Almost all houses that are equipped with a pool have a cartridge filter and a single speed 1.5 HP 240V pool pump. I thought it was strange nobody was using sand filters, and since I hated cleaning the cartridge every week or so, AND because I close my pool 6 months/year (snowbird usage), restarting the pool with a cartridge filter is no fun. The filter gets clogged too easily.
Although I found it suspicious that I found no sand filters in my neighbourhood, I changed my cartridge filter by a cheap sand filter; it cost me only a little bit more than a new cartridge, and now I have a 7-way valve with which I can maintain my pool much easier.
When I leave for 6 months, I lower the water level 1 foot, and turn off the pool pump. This is very unusual in SWFL, all snowbirds keep their pool pumps running and hire a pool guy. I save a ton of money on not needing either.
After 6 months, I just open the valve to "waste", vacuum the green soup my pool has turned to, and then turn the valve to "filter", and add about 8 gallons of 10% chlorine. Now the first few hours I regularly have to "backwash", but this is only a matter of turning off the pool pump, changing the filter setting, turn off pool pump, let it run for a minute or two, turn pomp off, change filter to "filter", and go have another beer....
It is no comparison of hosing out the cartridge filter, which is obviously not meant for this way of operation.
So this is my first improvement I can recommend to everybody; it is cheaper and easier, the only thing is that after long backwashes you have to add some water to your pool.
Second improvement is the pool pump: I noticed those pumps are heavily overpowered. I replaced my 1.5 HP 1.25 service factor pump by a cheap dual speed Chinese pump off of Ebay (around $150,-), it should rate at 1 HP but I think it only delivers 3/4 HP at full speed.
However, this is MORE than enough for my relatively small pool. I even run it at half speed most of the time, since then electricity usage is only 1/4 of full speed. Notice I had to rewire the pool timer since it provided 240V, and this pump's electricity usage is so low it only uses 120V.
I used to say to my neighbours: if your pool pump needs replacing, consider a dual speed, and downsize your HP/service factor combination. But now this Chinese pump is still running after 2 years (it was just an experiment), it earns itself back even if you just rip out your energy eating 1.5 or more HP pump....
Hope this is of some use to anyone...
After experimenting a few years with my pool I would like to share some observations on pool equipment here in South West Florida.
Almost all houses that are equipped with a pool have a cartridge filter and a single speed 1.5 HP 240V pool pump. I thought it was strange nobody was using sand filters, and since I hated cleaning the cartridge every week or so, AND because I close my pool 6 months/year (snowbird usage), restarting the pool with a cartridge filter is no fun. The filter gets clogged too easily.
Although I found it suspicious that I found no sand filters in my neighbourhood, I changed my cartridge filter by a cheap sand filter; it cost me only a little bit more than a new cartridge, and now I have a 7-way valve with which I can maintain my pool much easier.
When I leave for 6 months, I lower the water level 1 foot, and turn off the pool pump. This is very unusual in SWFL, all snowbirds keep their pool pumps running and hire a pool guy. I save a ton of money on not needing either.
After 6 months, I just open the valve to "waste", vacuum the green soup my pool has turned to, and then turn the valve to "filter", and add about 8 gallons of 10% chlorine. Now the first few hours I regularly have to "backwash", but this is only a matter of turning off the pool pump, changing the filter setting, turn off pool pump, let it run for a minute or two, turn pomp off, change filter to "filter", and go have another beer....
It is no comparison of hosing out the cartridge filter, which is obviously not meant for this way of operation.
So this is my first improvement I can recommend to everybody; it is cheaper and easier, the only thing is that after long backwashes you have to add some water to your pool.
Second improvement is the pool pump: I noticed those pumps are heavily overpowered. I replaced my 1.5 HP 1.25 service factor pump by a cheap dual speed Chinese pump off of Ebay (around $150,-), it should rate at 1 HP but I think it only delivers 3/4 HP at full speed.
However, this is MORE than enough for my relatively small pool. I even run it at half speed most of the time, since then electricity usage is only 1/4 of full speed. Notice I had to rewire the pool timer since it provided 240V, and this pump's electricity usage is so low it only uses 120V.
I used to say to my neighbours: if your pool pump needs replacing, consider a dual speed, and downsize your HP/service factor combination. But now this Chinese pump is still running after 2 years (it was just an experiment), it earns itself back even if you just rip out your energy eating 1.5 or more HP pump....
Hope this is of some use to anyone...
